Foundation Manager Farewell

At the Foundation, we don’t often talk about ourselves; our focus is always on the work and the animals we serve. But today, we ask if we may indulge ourselves as we bid farewell to our wonderful Foundation Manager, Shani van Straaten, who is leaving us after seven incredible years.

Shani has been with us from the very beginning – back when the Foundation was just a twinkle in Kevin’s eye. She loves to tell the story of her hilarious job interview with Kevin, which took place at the sanctuary while he was working on a film.

After keeping her waiting, Kevin finally arrived—disheveled, dirty, and covered in lion hair. There were no formal questions, just a chat (with Kevin doing most of the talking!). The most memorable part for Shani was watching a trickle of blood run down Kevin’s face from a lion scratch he seemed blissfully unaware of!

We offered her the job to get the Foundation website up and running and Shani accepted, unconventional job interview and all, with the thought, “Well, it’s only for six months.” She ended up staying for over 6 years. Shani’s background was in film, and you can see her influence in our campaigns, all of which she devised and wrote.

She is the mastermind behind Kevin’s 50th birthday video and appears here and there in front of the camera, leading the interview. She also stars as the ‘guest’ for the rhino competition campaign.

She is the mastermind behind Kevin’s 50th birthday video and appears here and there in front of the camera, leading the interview. She also stars as the ‘guest’ for the rhino competition campaign. 

She was even the cameraman for the first One Cup for a Cause —though we’ll never let her forget crashing Kevin’s drone while filming it! Her ability to balance our team, which she often joked was like “herding cats,” was nothing short of remarkable. Diligent, dependable, imaginative, committed; the Foundation would not have developed and grown as it has without her. A huge thank you from us all.

She is going back to her film roots and is starting a new non-profit organization called Earth Agency. However, we are pleased to say that we will stay in touch and not lose contact. Everyone at the Foundation wishes her every success in this next chapter of her journey.